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I am still waiting for Scottish Borders Council to publish their allocations from the £416,000, which was designed to benefit all schools in the Borders.

The detailed implementation of the National Grid for Learning is the responsibility of individual local authorities, working under a broad framework set out by the Scottish Executive. Scottish Borders Council is considering measures to address the deficit it has identified in its education budget. The Executive expects that the council will do all in its power to continue to provide a high quality of education in local schools and will proceed in a way which has the minimum impact on the education service experienced by pupils.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16563.

The Scottish Executive's support to local authorities for the development of the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) comes through the Excellence Fund. Local authorities are all committing considerable amounts from their own resources to support NGfL developments. The extent of that contribution is a matter for local decision.

Each authority is entitled to draw its share of the NGfL Excellence Fund programme provided that it has agreed with the Scottish Executive an Improvement Plan setting out how it will work towards the various objectives of the programme, including the target pupil:computer ratios. Money may be vired between Excellence Fund programmes subject to approval by the Scottish Executive.

Money is drawn down twice a year, on certification by council officials that valid expenditure has taken place. Authorities are required to report annually on progress and to notify any significant change from their original Improvement Plans. The Scottish Executive also monitors progress on certain of the NGfL targets though the annual School Census.

I understand that Scottish Borders Council is considering a range of measures to deal with the deficit identified in its education budget. Until this process is complete it will not be possible for the council to state for certain what the impact will be on any specific part of the education programme. The Executive expects that Scottish Borders Council will do everything it can to minimise the effect on pupils' education.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16559.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-16563.

We have not conducted a specific audit of respite facilities. However, our policies on a number of fronts emphasise the importance of improving the quality and availability of respite care (or short break services), including our Carers Strategy for Scotland, the Learning Disability Review, the work of the Joint Futures Unit and the package of measures to improve support to people at home announced in Susan Deacon's statement of 5 October 2000. We have developed these policies in consultation with users of services and their carers, and their views and experiences of existing services have had a major influence on the directions we are taking. We will be monitoring closely the impact of these policies on short break services in Scotland.

Duties imposed on education authorities for the provision of mainstream education for children with disabilities stem from education legislation, in particular the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Standards in Scotland's Schools Etc Act 2000. When commenced, the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2000 will place additional duties on local authorities with regard to equality of opportunity for disabled pupils. The duty to plan to increase access for disabled pupils does not apply to Scotland. Ministers are considering how best to apply a similar duty here.

Within the Scottish Executive Health Department, the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland and, as such, is the main departmental funder of NHS-related research. CSO spent £46,021 on research into the treatment of dementia in 1999-2000, £110,677 in 2000-01 and expects to spend £210,683 in 2001-02. There was no expenditure by CSO on research into the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 but CSO expects to spend £3,200 in 2001-02.CSO would be pleased to consider funding further research proposals into the treatment of Alzheimer's and other dementia illnesses which would be subject to the usual peer group and committee review.